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we are genetically predispositioned to be prejudicial.
It is a survival instinct.by being able to identify "likeness" babies know who they should be able to trust.
We then either foster,or work to overcome that instinct, but it is always there to some degree IMO.
Just like with addiction, you can stop smoking for twenty years, but that doesnt change the reward response that will take place if you choose to have a smoke..its there now...just waiting..
I understand Longhorns perception...but more importantly, I hope he understands that he is a slave to those shackles hes placed on himself,which is unfortunatley at the heart of many ,many conservative ideologues.

I'm not sure I agree with the original statement here. If I had the ability to choose with whom I would associate in life fro this context, I would choose people unlike me, so that skill sets and abiliies would be complimentary, not competitive.

I'm not sure I agree with the original statement here. If I had the ability to choose with whom I would associate in life fro this context, I would choose people unlike me, so that skill sets and abiliies would be complimentary, not competitive.

I don't think you would...at least not on a conscious level. You might want people who could do things you can't but in the end you are going to be most comfortable around people like yourself.

Originally Posted by MrPoon

man with hair like fire can destroy souls with a twitch of his thighs.

Meh, with where I live, I'm around enough "honest" people who share similar beliefs with him on the issue. It gets tiring after a while.

Hate is based in fear and fear is often based in a lack of exposure. I grew up in a family with homosexuals and interracial marriages.....when you're comfortable with people who are different by trivial surface traits there's nothing to fear. When you don't know enough or care enough about people like that, you end up fearing what's different and fear brings hate.....it's nothing to argue with, more of a pity thing for me. But it is what it is. It's a deeper psychological issue, not an opinion easily formed or rejected.

Or one bad action can trigger an endless stream of hate (ex. a black guy once stole my bike so I hate them all or once a gay guy tried to kiss me so I hate them all). There's a deeper emotional/psychology issue here.

A long time ago, in certain societies, this may have been true. It no longer is. I, as an atheist, can go marry another atheist, outside of a church, without a minister leading the ceremony, and my marriage is just as valid as Billy Graham's.

No, I know that. I'm just saying traditionally speaking, weddings have a religious tone to them.

I know there are atheistic weddings, gay weddings. They all accomplish the same goal - shared bank accounts.

Whatever you want to call it - you're screwed

And by the way, those pants, they belong to my dad.And they're not really pants,
they're Lederhosen

I'm not sure I agree with the original statement here. If I had the ability to choose with whom I would associate in life fro this context, I would choose people unlike me, so that skill sets and abiliies would be complimentary, not competitive.

That is a much higher level of analysis then we come out of the womb with(unfortunately ).
there is evidence to suggest babies key on identifiers that express similarity to them ( so they dont wander off and join a pack of wolves I guess) and have a rudimentary understanding of helpful/harmful.
I shared this before but I know people in here want the info handed to them so here you go:

I don't even know why its an issue. The anti-gay marriage conservatives need to recognize the history of civil rights and progressive changes and accept the fact that they are going to lose this issue.

In the past, the extreme conservatives (and when I say that, I'm talking ideology, not political party; conservatives of the past DO include Democrats in particular southern ones) have been opposed to: women voting, blacks voting, blacks having any rights for that matter, interracial marriages, workers' rights (humane conditions and hours, weekends, etc.), immigrants, women in the workplace, right to drink alcohol, affirmative action to offset all these inequalities, consumer protection....

and it's the liberal progressives who fight for the human rights causes. And in due time they win, because ultimately its the masses and the rights of the people that matter more than anything.

So why do they even bother to fight gay marriage. It's an issue of what a certain group of people have the right to do (just like blacks voting or using public facilities, just like women voting and working, just like Asians marrying Caucasians...), so they know they'll lose out eventually. Why bother fighting it?

I don't even know why its an issue. The anti-gay marriage conservatives need to recognize the history of civil rights and progressive changes and accept the fact that they are going to lose this issue.

In the past, the extreme conservatives (and when I say that, I'm talking ideology, not political party; conservatives of the past DO include Democrats in particular southern ones) have been opposed to: women voting, blacks voting, blacks having any rights for that matter, interracial marriages, workers' rights (humane conditions and hours, weekends, etc.), immigrants, women in the workplace, right to drink alcohol, affirmative action to offset all these inequalities, consumer protection....

and it's the liberal progressives who fight for the human rights causes. And in due time they win, because ultimately its the masses and the rights of the people that matter more than anything.

So why do they even bother to fight gay marriage. It's an issue of what a certain group of people have the right to do (just like blacks voting or using public facilities, just like women voting and working, just like Asians marrying Caucasians...), so they know they'll lose out eventually. Why bother fighting it?

The black/white thing isn't the same as gay marriage.

Nowhere in the bible does it say "Thou black people shall not vote", whereas it mentions homosexuality.

Two different matters entirely

And by the way, those pants, they belong to my dad.And they're not really pants,
they're Lederhosen

Nowhere in the bible does it say "Thou black people shall not vote", whereas it mentions homosexuality.

Two different matters entirely

Your entire biblical argument is valid, only where the bible is the controlling document, which is in the realm of religion. And even in religion, it is only valid in the specific religion(s) you are quoting.

This on the other hand is entirely a secular discussion. The controlling document(s) are secular documents.

Since no one is asking any religion to violate what it's tenants are, and the entire discussion is about legal recognition and authorization of gay marriage, the comment by GGGGG-Men was on point, and no where have you made a valid argument about secular marriage and more importantly, you have made no valid argument why gay people should be second class citizens!

Here is the question of the day, does anyone think that wealthy people should pay a lower percentage of their income to taxes than middle class people? Don't argue tax brackets, just a simple question. Do you think someone earning 46 million dollars should pay a lower percentage of their income than say someone earning sixty thousand?

Just a moment ago as I was scrolling through my News Feed, I saw a post that read exactly this:

I commented "I think it would be better to stop supporting lifestyles of discrimination and hypocrisy, but hey, that's just me."

One of my friends always shares these awful pictures/cartoons from this page called White History Month. I tried to hide the crap from my feed, but it kept coming back. I finally snapped and something like "congratulations on being white, but please stop putting this ignorant and uneducated crap on my wall". I took him by surprise, I think, but thankfully no more bigot Charlie Brown comic strips.